Vise



July' 7, 1942. w. A. sEMr-:RAK

VISE

Filed May 7, 1941 2Sheets-Sheet l July 7, 1942.

N. A. SEMERAK Filed May '7, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1%/1 .viv-11411.15

Patented July 7, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE vIsE wiuiam A. semerak, chicago, nl: Application May 7, 1941, serial No. 392,335

A (cl. :s1- 17) 9 Claims.

' The present invention relates to improvements in vise constructions of the quick action type, wherein the movable jaw may be quickly and easily shifted relative to the stationary jaw for expeditiously clamping a piece of work between the jaws. In vise constructions of this general type there is usually provided suitable means for firmly locking the movable jaw in clamping relation to the stationary jaw. The general purpose of such vise construction is to expedite the operation of clamping or unclamping a piece of work between the jaws, to effect a substantial saving of time in adjusting the jaws relative to each other.

One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide a novel and improved vise structure of the character indicated, which is simple in construction, eicient in operation and capable of economical manufacture.

Another object is to provide .a novel and improved vise construction of the character indicated, wherein the forward end of the movable jaw is free and unobstructed. A

A further object is to provide a novel and irnproved vise construction of the character indicated, wherein the forward end of the movable jaw is free and unobstructed and wherein the manually operable means for controlling the clamping or locking of the jaws is disposed on the vise body a substantial distance rearwardly of the front end of the movable jaw.

Other objects and advantages of this inventio will be apparent from the following .description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the vise construction embodying the present invention,

with the upper forward end of a body or frame structure indicated at I2, as seen in Figure 1 of the drawings. It is to be understood that the body I2 is formed as a casting, and is of generally rectangular form, andv as seen in the drawings includes an upright vertical wall I4 formed integrally at its lower end with a generally circular base portion I5, and the upper end of said wall I4 is connected to a top wall indicated at I6. The body also includes a removable wall, as indicated at I1, adapted to be rigidly secured to the saidv body by a plurality of machine screws I8. The interior of the body is formed with a horizontal, longitudinally extending rib I9, integral with wall 14, intermediate the top wall I6 and the base I 5, so as to provide above and below said rib, when the wall I1 is in position, two separate horizontal guideways 20 and 2| of rectangular Y cross section. Desirably the surfaces of the body part in section, with the side plate of the body removed, showing `the parts in position for locking or clamping the movable jaw in xed relation to the stationary jaw.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, the locking parts being shown in released position, so

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view of a portion of an operating handle. r

' My novel and improved vise construction as illustrated in the drawings includes a fixed or stationary jaw I0 and a cooperating -movable jaw The stationary jaw IIJ is formed integrally .Fill

'stitutes an extension thereof,

forming the guide ways are machined. The forward end of the body is closed by a wall indicated at 23, the upper endof which terminates flush with the bottom of the guideway 20, and conas seen in Figure 1 of the drawings.

The front wall 23 of the bodyis formed with a forwardly projecting shelf portion 23a for providing auxiliary or additional support for the supporting member 25 associated with the movable jaw II. The movable jaw II, as herein shown, is integrally connected to a horizontally movable supporting member 25 of rectangular section, slidably mounted in the guideway 20 of the body. The under surface of said supporting Y member, for a substantial portion of the length thereof, is formed with a` series ofteeth 26 to constitute a rack. The teeth of the rack, when the movable jaw I I is in the position seen in Figure 1 in abutting relation to the stationary jaw I0, extends over the opening intermediatethe forward end of the rib I9 and the front wall 23. Meshed with the teeth'of the rack, in.registration with said opening, is al gear-28, rigidly mounted on oppositely extending stub shafts 29, journalled in the respective walls I4 and IIl of said body.

Slidablv mounted in the guideway 2|, below the rib I9, lis a follower block 3|, of generally rectangular cross section having the forward portion of the upper surface thereof provided with a seriesof teeth 32 adapted to mesh with the teeth of the gear 28 at the lower side thereof, as seen in Figure 1 of the drawings. Threaded in the follower block 3ll is a double threaded screw or worm 35, the forward end of which is journalled in the front wall 23 of the body. The forward portion of the screw is provided with a shoulder 36 adapted to abut against the inner surface of the front wall 23 ofthe body, and a reduced portion of said worm protrudes through said front wall, and secured on said protruding portion in abutting relation to the outer surface of said front wall is a. collar 31 fixedly secured by a pin 38 to said protruding portion of the screw for fixedly y securing said screw against axial movement inL said body. The opposite end of said screw protrudes a short distance beyond the rear end of the body I2, and the extreme end portions of said screw are flattened as indicated at 35a and 35h, so as to be of generally oblong form in cross section for receiving a socket wrench, as indicated at 40. While I have herein shown a socket wrench of the form to be removably secured to either end of the screw, it will be apparent that if desired any suitable form of hand operating lever or knob may be fixedly or permanently attached to either or both ends of the screw.

Projecting downwardly from the forward end of the supporting member 25, directly beneath the movable jaw Il, is a hand` grasp 42, which serves as a convenient means for readily shifting the movable jaw toward or away from the statlonary jaw when the follower block 3| is disengaged from the gear 28, as indicated in Figure 2.

When it is desired to clamp a piece of work between the jaws I0 and II, the movable jaw II is quickly and easily shifted by grasping of .the hand piece 42, so as to embrace the piece of work between the jaws.I Then by means of the hand piece 40 the screw 35 is rotated a portion of a revolution so as to move the follower block 3| from the position seen in Figure 2 to the position seen in Figure 1, so that the teeth of the follower block acting as a rack engage the teeth of the 'gear 28 and tend to rotate the same in clockwise direction and thereby tend to shift the rack associated with the supporting member 25 forcibly in a rearward direction,` and thereby forcibly urge the movable jaw II toward the stationary jaw III. As will be apparent, the jaws will be retained in such clamping relation due to the pitch of the screw 35.

The base I5 is seated on an auxiliary mount.-

ing base 45, which is of generally circular outi line, of substantially the same size as the base I5. Said base 45 is formed with a plurality of laterally extending lugs or ears 46 for receiving suitable screws or bolts for permanent secure- 'ment of the vise structure to the top of a work I bench or other mounting surface. The base I5 is swivelly connected to the auxiliary mounting base 45 in a conventional manner by a centrally located bolt 48. The respective bases I5 and 45 are formed with recesses. as seen in Figure 4, for conveniently accommodating the head and nut of said bolt within the thickness thereof. The vise proper may be swivelled on the auxiliary -base 45 for convenience in use, and preferablyl ,it is desirable that suitable means be provided for disengagably securing the device in a number of angular positions with respect to the auxiliary base 45, and for this purpose I have provided a spring pressed detent as shown in Figure 4 in the form ol a ball 50 engaged by a compression spring 5l in a recess I5a in the base of the body, the spring being maintained in pressure engagement by a plug '52. The auxiliary base 45, as shown, is provided with three depressions or recesses 45a into which the ball 50 is adapted to be seated for yieldingly retaining the vise in relatively fixed relation to the auxiliary base 45. As seen in Figure 3 of the drawings, said recesses a are located at 90 degrees apart, so that the vise may be retained in a normal position at right angles to the front of the work bench, or may be swung laterally to either side at right angles to the normal position.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting this invention to the precise form herein shown and described, except as I may be so limited by the claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A quickv4 action vise comprising a body including a stationary jaw, a movable jaw including a horizontally extending supporting member, slidably guided for movement in a guideway formed in said body, said movable jaw and supporting member normally being free for movement for disposing said jaw in a desired cooperating relationship to said stationary jaw, the underside of a portion of the length of said member being provided with a toothed longitudinally extending rack, a gear journalled in the Walls of said body and meshing with' said rack, and manually operable disengageable means for engaging at will the teeth of said gear, tending to rotate said gear and actuate said rack for forcibly urging the movable jaw toward the stationary jaw.

2.` A quick action vise comprising a body including a stationary jaw, a movable jaw including a horizontally extending supporting member, slidably guided for movement in a guideway formed in said body, said movable jaw and supporting -member normally being free for movement for disposing said jaw in a desired cooperating relationship to said stationary jaw, the underside of a portion of the length of said member being provided with a toothed longitudinally extending rack, a gear journalled in the walls of saidV body and meshing with said rack. and manually operable disengageable means for engaging at will the teeth of said gear,'tending to rotate said gear and actuate said rack for forcibly urging the movable jaw toward the stationary jaw, said means including self-locking features for releasably securing said movable jaw in such urged position of adjustment.

3. A quick action vise comprising a body including a stationary jaw, a movable jaw including a horizontally extending supporting member, slidably guided for movement in a guideway formed in said body, said movable jaw and supporting member normally being free for movement for disposing said jaw in a desired cooperating relationship to said stationary jaw, the underside of a portion of the length of said member being provided with a toothed longitudinally extending rack, a gear journalled in the walls of :aid body and meshing with said rack, a follower block slidably guided for movement in a guideway in said body, said block having its upper surface provided with a series of teeth, and quick acting means for moving said block to cause the teeth thereof to engage the teeth of said gear, tending to rotate the latter and thereby imparting movement to said rack for forcibly urging the movable jaw toward the stationary jaw.

4. A quick action vise comprising a body including a stationary jaw, a movable jaw including a horizontally extending supporting member slidably guided for movement in a guideway formed in said body, said movable jaw and supporting member normally being free for movement for disposing said jaw in a desired cooperating relationship to said stationary jaw, the underside of a portion of the length of said member being provided with a toothed longitudinally extending rack, a gear journalled in the walls of said body and meshing with-said rack, a follower block slidably guided for movement in a guideway in said body, said block having its upper surface provided with a series of teeth, and a screw journalled on said body and having threaded engagement with said follower block and adapted upon slight rotation for moving the block to cause its teeth to move into or out of engagement with the teeth of said gear, whereby one direction of rotation of the screw imparts movement to said rack for forcibly urging the movable jaw toward the stationary jaw.

5.- A quick action vise comprising a body including a stationary jaw, a movable jaw including a horizontally extending supporting member, slidably guided for movement in a guideway formed in said body, said movable jaw and `supporting member normally being free for movement for disposing said jaw in-a desired cooperating relationship to said stationary jaw, the underside of a portion cf the length of said member being provided with a toothed longitudinally extending rack, a gear journalled in the walls of said body and meshing with said rack, a follower block slidably guided for movement in a guideway in said body, said block having its upper surface provided with a series of teeth, and a screw Journalled on said body and having threaded engagement with said follower block and adapted upon slight rotation for moving the block to cause its teeth to move into or out of engagement with the teeth of said gear, said screw being formed with a shoulder adapted to abut against inner surface of front wall of said body and a collar fixed on said screw adjacent the outside surface of said front wall to preclude axial movement of said screw, whereby one direction of rotation of the screw imparts movement to said rack for forcibly urging the movable jaw toward the stationary jaw.

6. A quick action vise comprising a body including a stationary jaw, a movable jaw including a horizontally extending'supporting member, slidably guided for movement in a guideway formed in said body, said movable jaw and supporting member normally being free for movement for disposing said jaw in a desired cooperating relationship to said stationary jaw, the underside of a portion of the length of said member being provided with a toothed longitudinally extending rack, a gear journalled in the walls o-f said body and meshing with said rack, a follower block slidably guided for movement in a guideway in said body, said block having its upper surface provided witha series of teeth, said body being provided with a partition wall serving as a support for the teeth of the rack and also as a guide surface for the upper surface of the follower block, and a screw journalled on said body and having threaded engagement with said follower block and adapted upon slight rotation for moving the block to cause its teeth to move into or out of engagement with the teeth of said gear, whereby one direction of rotation of the screw imparts movement to said rack for forcibly urging the movable jaw toward the stationary jaw.

7. A quick action vise comprising a body including a stationary jaw, a movable jaw including a horizontally extending supporting member, slidably guided for vmovement in a guideway formed in said body, said movable jaw and supporting member normally being free for movement for disposing said Jaw in a desired cooperating relationship to said stationary jaw, the underside of a portion of the length of said member being provided with a toothed longitudinally extending rack, a gear journalled in the walls of said body and meshing with said rack, a follower block slidably guided for movement in a guideway in said body, said block having its upper surface provided with a series of teeth, and quick acting means for moving said block to cause the teeth thereof to engage the teeth of said gear, tending to rotate the latter and thereby imparting movement to said rack for forcibly urging the movable jaw toward the stationary jaw, said body being formed as an integral casting, provided with aremovable side wall for expeditious assembly of the operating elements in said body.

8. A quick action vise comprising a body including a stationary jaw, a movable jaw including a horizontally extending supporting member, slidably guided for movement in a guideway formed in said body, said movable jaw and supporting member normally being free for movement for disposing said jaw in a desired cooperating relationship to said stationary jaw, the

underside of a portion of the length of said membei` being provided with a toothed longitudinally extending rack, a gear journalled in the walls of said body and meshing with said rack, manually operable means for engaging at will the teeth of said gear, tending to rotate said gear and actuate said rack for forcibly urging the movable jaw toward the stationary jaw, and a hand grasp depending from the underside of the forward end of said movable jaw to permit quick and easy movement thereof into and out of cooperative relation to said stationary jaw when said means is in inoperative position.

9. A quick action vise comprising a body including a stationary jaw, a movable jaw including a horizontally extending supporting member, slidably guided for movement in a guideway formed in said body, said movable jaw and supporting member normally Abeing free for movement for disposing said jaw in a desired cooperatingv relationship to said stationary jaw,

the underside of a portion of the length of said member beingA provided with a toothed longitudinally extending rack, a gear jpurnalled in the walls of said body and meshing with said rack, manually operable means for engaging at 

